Fintech News from Ireland and around the World

The third Annual Fintech Ireland Summit

1/1/2027

Following the success of the inaugural Fintech Ireland Summit in 2024 and 2025, the Summit returns in 2026.

We have more than 220 attendees ranging from large international fintechs through to indigenous Irish start-ups in attendance represented by the who's who of c-suite executives from across the globe.

Read more here

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The best board advice? Don’t rush [into a Fintech Directorship] (20 February 2025)

31/12/2026

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Inside the Fintech boardroom: Peter Oakes on due diligence, diversity and the power of a continuous learning

Sources:

Peter Oakes - Experienced Fintech and Financial Services Board Director
Peter Oakes is a qualified solicitor, and has a background in regulation, governance, and compliance. Peter has held key positions at the Central Bank of Ireland and led initiatives in fintech. Peter Oakes is a founder of Fintech Ireland.

What’s the most important advice you would give to someone considering a board position?
Be selective and conduct thorough due diligence before accepting any board appointment. It’s not just about joining a club - it’s a serious responsibility. You need to understand the risks involved and ensure you can add unique value to the board. If you don’t have the right expertise or understanding, you could find yourself in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Boards thrive on diversity of thought and experience, so it’s essential to assess whether you bring something different to the table.

How has your career in regulation and governance shaped your approach as a board director?My career began in regulation in Australia, where I witnessed firsthand how governance failures led to a corporate crisis and regulatory overhaul. I later worked with the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) during its formation, and then as Director of Enforcement and Financial Crime at the Central Bank of Ireland during the financial crisis. Those experiences reinforced the importance of strong governance, regulatory compliance, and the role of independent directors in challenging management decisions. I bring that perspective to every board I serve on.

How has Ireland’s fintech sector evolved, and what should NEDs consider before joining a fintech board?
Ireland’s fintech success is partly due to the presence of major US tech firms, the availability of skilled professionals, and strong regulatory frameworks. There are now around 300 indigenous fintech firms and 140 international ones operating in Ireland. However, fintech moves fast, and that means risk. NEDs must be comfortable engaging with entrepreneurs who are scaling rapidly and sometimes breaking conventions. Regulators see risk in that, and it’s up to NEDs to ensure there is strong oversight. If you’re not prepared to challenge management or engage with investors, a fintech board might not be the right fit for you.

What key skills and attributes make for an effective independent non-executive director (INED)?
First, you need to be comfortable analysing financials - profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports. While you don’t have to be a chartered accountant, you must be able to ask the right questions. Independence of thought is also crucial. You’re not there as a cheerleader for management - you’re there to provide oversight and challenge decisions when necessary. Finally, understanding your regulatory obligations is key. If you’re not prepared to be questioned by a regulator, an INED role in financial services may not be for you.

How has your IoD Ireland membership supported your journey as a board director?IoD Ireland has been invaluable to me. When I first joined in 2008, I was looking to deepen my understanding of Irish company law and governance. Completing the Chartered Director programme in 2009 was a great foundation for my board career. Beyond education, the networking opportunities have been exceptional. The IoD provides ongoing professional development, high-quality events, and access to a peer network that is incredibly useful for staying at the forefront of governance trends. The practical business value of membership is undeniable, especially for INEDs who need to stay CPD-compliant and informed.

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Feedback on Central Bank of Ireland Discussion Paper 12 - Distributed Ledger Technology and Tokenisation in Financial Services (09 November 2026)

2/11/2026

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DISCUSSION PAPER HERE

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Members of Fintech Ireland's ecosystem in the media

1/10/2026

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Members of Fintech Ireland's ecosystem in the media

Here is a summary of certain media coverage of Irish fintechs and fintechs founded by Irish folk.

22/05/2026: US fintech Payoneer paid $13m to acquire Irish employment firm Boundless. Read more HERE.
14/06/2026: Niall Dennehy's NestiFi raises seed round for AI family co-investing platform: Read more at: Article 1 and Article 2. Congratulations on the fundraise Team Nestifi and also the new look website! As Niall says - "Let's talk family wealth".
01/10/2026: James Hannigan's Sligo firm FacePOS hailed as ‘holy grail of payment systems’ after double nomination at Open Banking Expo Awards in London. Read more HERE. Congratulations Team FacePOS as you continue your journey as "Europe’s first fully integrated Pay by Bank solution - faster, safer, and completely free."
02/10/2026: Susan O'Neill's Paygentic hits Money20/20 USA this October 2026. Read more HERE. Paygentic is we're building the future of billing and payments for the agentic economy. Around this time in 2025 Paygentic announced that it had raised USD2mn in a pre-seed round. Read more HERE.
03/09/2026: Irish fintech CleverCards included as only one of "Seven Irish firms among Europe’s fastest-growing startups – find out who’s made the cut". CleverCards was named in the Sifted 250 for the second year in a row. The firm – which offers digital payment cards to more than 20,000 companies – was ranked 148th and had a CAGR of 160 per cent. Kealan Lennon, founder and chief executive, said the recognition was a “fantastic validation of the hard work and dedication of our team”. Great news to read Team CleverCards! Read more HERE.
09/09/2026: First Derivative creating 100 jobs with new AI and fintech centre, Charlie Taylor (Business Post). Read more HERE.
09/09/2026: Irish fintech ZeroRisk (Gary Nolan, CEO & CoFounder) raises €8.6m to expand payment risk platform, Charlie Taylor (Business Post). Read more HERE.
21/04/2026: Sean Mullaney's Seapoint raises €7.5m as ‘financial home’ to start-ups, Ann O’Dea (Silicon Republic). Seapoint is a full financial control for startups. Read more HERE.
08/09/2026: Ronan Burke and Conor Burke: ‘Suddenly, every financial institution needed a solution to a problem we had spent years preparing to solve’. Read more HERE. [NB: Inscribe is an AI-powered document fraud detection platform purpose built for financial institutions. The platform detects forged, fabricated and AI-generated financial documents (including deepfake bank statements, manipulated pay stubs and synthetic tax forms) in seconds, giving risk teams the clarity they need to stop fraud without slowing approvals.].

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Eurosystem call for Expressions of Interest for Digital Euro innovation activities (Central Bank of Ireland Notification)

28/9/2026

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STARTS

On 30 September 2026 14:31:23 innovation <[email protected] > wrote:

Central Bank of Ireland - UNRESTRICTED

Dear All,

Please see below information that you may wish to share with your clients/members.

For Information:
The Eurosystem is inviting firms to build and test new payment features on the digital euro infrastructure during the first half of 2027. If your firm works in payments, retail, fintech, AI or public services, this is an opportunity to work hands-on with the digital euro before any launch decision is made, and to influence how it is designed.

What participants get
Selected firms will work with the ECB to develop and test solutions on the digital euro's core infrastructure. For payment service providers and fintechs, this gives an early view of the features and services you may be expected to offer, and time to develop your product thinking before the wider market. Your work will feed into the design of future releases. The ECB may invite participants to present their results at an event and will publish the key findings, giving your firm visibility with the Eurosystem and with peers across Europe. The ECB will also consider geographic diversity when selecting participants.

Where you could contribute
There are two strands. The experimentation strand runs from January to June 2027 and asks firms to develop and test working features in four areas: electronic receipts built into payments, split payments with multiple payers or recipients, conditional payments that execute automatically when set conditions are met, and new features for payment apps. The exploration strand runs as workshops at the ECB in Frankfurt during the first half of 2027 and looks further ahead at AI in payments (including AI agents and micropayments) and at public uses such as transport, utility bills and smart city services.

What's involved
Experimentation participants will build and test a solution and submit a proof of concept and an outcome report. Exploration participants attend on-site workshops. Joint applications are encouraged, particularly pairings across roles such as a merchant with a PSP or technology provider. The call does not include funding, and a decision to issue the digital euro will only be taken once the EU legislation is adopted.

How to apply
Complete the ECB application form, indicating which strand and focus areas interest you, your motivation, expertise and proposed use case. Send it to [email protected] by 17:00 CET on Monday 9 November 2026. The full call document is available here

Should you have any questions please contact [email protected]

Kind regards,

Innovation Hub Team

ENDS

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<<Previous

The third Annual Fintech Ireland Summit

The best board advice? Don’t rush [into a Fintech Directorship] (20 February 2025)

Inside the Fintech boardroom: Peter Oakes on due diligence, diversity and the power of a continuous learning

Feedback on Central Bank of Ireland Discussion Paper 12 - Distributed Ledger Technology and Tokenisation in Financial Services (09 November 2026)

Members of Fintech Ireland's ecosystem in the media

Members of Fintech Ireland's ecosystem in the media

Eurosystem call for Expressions of Interest for Digital Euro innovation activities (Central Bank of Ireland Notification)

Author

Archives

Categories

The third Annual Fintech Ireland Summit

The best board advice? Don’t rush [into a Fintech Directorship] (20 February 2025)

​Inside the Fintech boardroom: Peter Oakes on due diligence, diversity and the power of a continuous learning

Feedback on Central Bank of Ireland Discussion Paper 12 - Distributed Ledger Technology and Tokenisation in Financial Services (09 November 2026)

Members of Fintech Ireland's ecosystem in the media

​Members of Fintech Ireland's ecosystem in the media

Eurosystem call for Expressions of Interest for Digital Euro innovation activities (Central Bank of Ireland Notification)

Author

Archives

Categories

Inside the Fintech boardroom: Peter Oakes on due diligence, diversity and the power of a continuous learning

Members of Fintech Ireland's ecosystem in the media